The last day in Marrekesh
Another glorious sunny day. We had one last thing to do before we left. That was to visit the Secret Garden. There is very little to do here other than shop. It's not a city that you need to spend more than a couple of days. I guess if you're looking for a city break and to buy stuff then this would be the place for you. Like all the big cities here it's split into old and new so you're able too choose where you want to spend your time and what sort of experience you're after. You could easily come here stay in a posh hotel in the new city and you would have no adjustment to make from a European perspective.
The other end where we are has a mixture of tourist tat and Moroccan lifestyle. You can flit between the two and that's what we've been able to do.
The downside for me has been the pollution which sits heavily in the narrow alleyways as the mopeds roar up and down swerving in and out of the crowds.
Would I come here again? probably not, is it worth visiting ? I think there are better cities in Morocco to explore and enjoy.
Anyway we visited the secret garden and it was an oasis of calm in the frenzy. Situated bang in the middle of the Medina.
This has been lovingly restored as it had collapsed into ruin with an illegal shanty town built upon its ruins. Vasts amount of time and money has been spent lovingly restoring it. The water system is directly fed from the distant Atlas Mountains and is system of gravity and intricate complexity.
Some of the recreated craftsmanship is truly amazing.
One thing that continues to niggle is the habit of father with a crash helmet when his wife and children ride on the same bike totally unprotected.
We returned to the roof terrace and spent the afternoon lazing in the sun and booking the next stage of the trip. We have booked a week in a flat overlooking the sea further down south. Weather is set to remain good and the night time temperatures remain in the low teens with day time temperatures in the low 20s
We are off tomorrow on a Saharan adventure 3 days . We return for 1 night before the 3 hour coach journey to Essatouran a laid back seaside town we visited very briefly when we were last in Morocco. Looking forward to a week there.
The other thing to add about this city is the main tourist attraction is the square where the monkeys and snakes are abused we have made the decision not to frequent there. Others will go and it's supposed to a vibrant huge space full of noise and many entertainers.
We will try to keep up the blog over the next 3 days but it maybe difficult to access the internet from amongst the sand dunes.